


Into the Night

by LunaUlric



Category: Final Fantasy XV, Kingsglaive
Genre: Comedy, F/M, Fluff, Romance, Ship, lunyx, mama ulric - Freeform, otp, princess-bodyguard AU, the glaives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-12
Updated: 2017-09-10
Packaged: 2018-10-18 00:13:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10605261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaUlric/pseuds/LunaUlric
Summary: Nyx Ulric works as a bodyguard for Princess Lunafreya, but when night falls, they venture on beyond the walls of the palace. As they left their duties under the day's charge, the glaive finds himself more enthralled by the princess.





	1. Act the Part

**Author's Note:**

> This started as a one-shot based on [a prompt](http://otpisms.tumblr.com/post/156224395786/otp-idea-732), but I decided to add more chapters. Posted on [my tumblr](https://luna-ulric.tumblr.com/).

Nyx was in the middle of putting a bag of chips in his shopping basket when someone called him. He couldn't help but cringe when he heard the familiar voice. The only thing he that could do was turn around and wear a fake smile.

“Hey, Mrs. Collins." he greeted.

Mrs. Collins, a neighbor in his apartment building, looked the same as always. White curly hair, short built and wore glasses as thick as the bottom of a beer glass. She always looked at him with some sort of a 'eurika' expression and the glaive knew exactly why. The old woman approached with a silent glee while carrying a basket full of her own things she had picked to buy.

“Oh my dear, it's been a while since I last saw you! How are you? You look a bit haggard! Have you been sleeping?" Mrs. Collins exclaimed rapidly.

At least the motherly questions made him smile genuinely. “I get enough sleep, Mrs. Collins, don't worry. I'm just assigned to more missions lately, that's all." he answered kindly.

“Ah yes! Being the best of the Kingsglaive would make anyone busy.“ she complemented.

Nyx just reacted with a bashful laugh.

“I rarely see you in the morning nowadays." the old woman continued. “Have you been assigned to an earlier time as a guard in the palace?"

“Yes, I, uh, I've been assigned to an earlier time." Nyx said while he forced the smile to stay. He always felt bad lying to the old lady, but it was better than admitting he had been avoiding her. Still clueless to his discomfort, Mrs. Collins maintained her excitable demeanor. She pushed up her glasses and moved closer with tiny steps. Meanwhile, he mentally braced himself for the upcoming question he knew all too well.

“Have you called Sharon yet?" she asked.

Sharon was first brought up when the old lady found out that the hero of the Kingsglaive didn't have a girlfriend. And as old ladies would often do, she started mentioning the single granddaughter and almost immediately begged him to go out with her. The old woman had pestered him with it whenever they met and the glaive had always turn the down the offer. Today was no exception.

“I didn't have time. I've been busy." he excused as he scratched the back of his head.

Mrs. Collins frowned. “You should call her soon! She's perfect for you!"

He gave a nervous laugh. Maybe the truth would make her stop once and for all.

“I'm sorry, Mrs. Collins." he sighed. “But I'm not interested."

“Oh don't be such heart breaker." She countered. So much for finally telling the truth. It seemed like nothing would never make this old woman falter from ever pushing him. And with a teasing tone she continued. “Don't tell me you already have someone else."

Another nervous laugh. There was nothing he could do but to just continue turning her down as always without hurting the grandmother’s heart too much.

“I'm afraid he has."

Nyx turned to see the woman who made the bold remark. The blonde woman stood at the end of the aisle with a smile he recognized. She tilted her head slightly and looked at him with the confidence that made him pay attention to her next move.

Luna approached the two quickly and wrapped an arm onto Nyx's before he could ever react. Mrs. Collins looked at her from head to toe with her shaky fingers holding up the thick spectacles. If the blonde before her wore the usual royal garb, she would fall to her knees like anyone recognizing her. However, the Princess Oracle in a casual coat and boots was effectively disguised to the old woman’s eyes. Somehow, nobody seemed to recognize the princess as long as she wore casual clothes. In fact, in the few months of her sneaking out at night with her glaive escort, the disguise has never failed.

The grandmother looked at the glaive and expressed a question with a face. Luna giggled and softly patted the man on his broad chest. Nyx could only observe what was strangely happening before his eyes.

“Oh Nyx, aren’t you going to introduce me?” she uttered demurely."

And so he started to, but with a slight arch on his brow. “Mrs. Collins this is –“

“Stella…” Luna finished as she held out a hand, but then the cover name wasn’t the only thing she made up. “…Nyx's wife.”

Nyx remained composed as he tried to hold back a chuckle. “Yes.. my wife." he introduced. He felt warm saying the last two words. “And _honey_ , this is Mrs. Collins - one of my neighbors at the apartment bulding."

Mrs. Collins took Luna's hand and shook it as expected, but the old lady’s eyes widened. “Wife?" she uttered, like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing or seeing.There was a hint of disappointment on her face.

Luna smiled kindly. “Yes. We got married just last month.”

Finally having caught on with the cover, Nyx nodded before copying the princess' smile. He put an arm around his pretend wife to add effect.

Mrs. Collins looked at Luna and then at Nyx. She gasped as if she was just realizing it the first time. “Why didn't you tell me you were married?“she croaked. “Oh you didn't even invite me to the wedding!"

“I apologize for that, Mrs. Collins. It was just a small wedding and it happened so quick. We just couldn’t invite everybody." the glaive stated. He couldn't believe he was saying it all so smoothly.

Nevertheless, the old woman formed a warm grin. “Oh don't be sorry! You found yourself a beautiful wife. And I can tell, you are very much in love."

The faux couple gave an “aww" look before a cheery smile appeared on their lips. Nyx couldn't help but hold Luna closer. And she reciprocated by giving him a peck on the cheek. He felt her hand tremble slightly while she did so. But the nervousness was mutual.

At the sight of them, The old woman placed her frail hand to her chest. “Even though you missed a chance with my Sharon, I am so glad to see you finally in love.” she commented, even sounded genuinely.“I'll leave you two then. I hope to meet you again."

“You too, Mrs. Collins." Nyx replied while he still held Luna.

“It was nice to meet you, Mrs. Collins." Luna said warmly.

Mrs. Collins finally gave the princess a soft pat on her arm. “Such a beautiful lady you have here, Nyx. You are both so lucky." she gushed.

Then finally the old woman moved on to the cashier with those tiny steps of hers. The supposedly married couple waved good bye at her. Only when her tiny frame disappeared from their sight did they drop the act. He finally let go of her and she took a step back from the intimate proximity.

The first thing that Nyx did was laugh. Luna looked at him curiously. “What?" she asked.

“Nothing. I just can't believe we were able to pull that off." he replied discreetly.

The princess shook her head. “Maybe old ladies are easy to fool." she stated with an equally hushed tone.

“I guess so." he muttered. “But I owe you one, your highness. It would take an hour or so before I get rid of her, if you hadn't come in."

She hummed a note as she began to look for the snacks she preferred among the ones display. “You don't have to owe me. You have saved me countless times from danger."

“But that's because it's my job to save you from danger." he commented while he put another bag of chips on the basket. 

Then something came to his mind. “I guess I'll have to think of excuses for my wife being always out." he said. “She's my neighbor after all. She;s gonna wonder why Stella isn't always at home."

“Then I suggest you find another apartment." she lightly suggested. 

He gave a soft laugh. “Well, it's better than finding a girl that looks exactly like you and is named Stella."

The comment made her grin. 

They went silent for a while as they looked for more snacks to buy. Luna picked a small bag of biscuits and placed them in the basket he held. She gazed at him with much of her notorious curiosity.

“I wonder." she started. “Why don't you go out with Sharon? As Mrs. Collins had put it, she's perfect for you. Well, she might be right." Her teasing tone didn't escape him.

“No can do, princess." he answered with a smirk. “Too busy with the job."

The princess laughed as she tugged his arm to drag him onto the next aisle. The glaive could only let her. Somehow, he could never think about her soft touch the same way again since the act they did together. It would always remind him of the moment he held her close as he would if she was indeed his wife…

And how her lips felt on his cheek... And how they might feel when touched by his own.

He suddenly stopped his stride.  

“What's the matter?" the Luna asked.

Nyx cleared his throat and avoided looking into her blue eyes. “Nothing... Uh, Let's just get those sodas."

Again, he had to pretend. But this time, he wasn’t so sure if he can still pull off another flawless act.


	2. Meddling Rumors and Hidden Truths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nyx Ulric deals with the rumors about him and the truths that he is reluctant to admit.

The van that the Kingsglaive rode shook slightly as it turned to a direction. Bodies shifted but mundane chatters hadn’t ceased in the background.

In his usual spot, Nyx leaned on the window side while he let the fatigue take its course. He watched the moving scenery as it brought some thoughts of the new and the usual. More specifically, he reminded himself to finish the unpacking of marked boxes in his new apartment and, later, to accompany a certain princess for the usual, discreet night out. Having these tasks swimming in his mind calmed him more than the dull travel itself, helping him return to the quiet part of a soldier’s life. Like any of the glaives, he needed it after the taxing battle.

The recently accomplished mission was as gruesome and tiring as the ones he had in the past. Monsters to kill. Towns to defend. Guts and grime to shake off from the armor. Same old, same old. What was left was the return to the crown city. And maybe some uninterrupted peace.

Maybe.

Libertus started snoring without restraint. Unfortunately, he was squeezed in between Nyx and Crowe, who were trapped in their seats and were forced to be the receiving end of the ugliness. The female glaive elbowed the sleeping Galahdian on the side, which made the garbled noise to stop and the bickering to begin.

“I'm sleepin' here!" Libertus complained, still a bit groggy and still a bit too loud.

“And we're dying here." Crowe retorted with her famous scowl.

However, it didn't faze the stout glaive next to her. “Well, Nyx doesn't seem to be complaining." Libertus lightly justified, “Ain't that right, Nyx?"

Preoccupied, Nyx still watched from the window. He wasn’t really in the mood to choose sides in their squabble.

“Daydreaming again." he heard his fellow Galahdian mutter.

“Probably daydreaming about that wife of his."

The words made the hero of the Kingsglaive snap out of his calming stillness. His head moved suddenly for the first time and searched for the one who said it. He stopped when he spotted Pelna. The wisecracker of the glaives peaked above the headrest of his seat in front of Nyx, facing him with the sly I-know-something-they-don’t smirk.

“What?" Crowe blurted, beating anyone to it.

Pelna immediately supplied the information. “I heard he got married just recently. Probably the reason why he moved to a bigger apartment."

Nyx was taken aback. The news was absurd and entirely untrue. A wild rumor that his friend might’ve randomly picked up from who knows where. He sat up to object.

“Wait. I'm not-." Despite that, conclusions started to pour in before he could finish, like an unrelenting freight train.

“How could you not tell us, Nyx! You didn't even introduced us to this girl!" Crowe snapped as she craned her neck to give Nyx another scowl.

Libertus followed right after with a bellow and an equally mean glower. “I'm your best friend, Nyx! You didn’t even invite me to the wedding!"

Once again Nyx was stunned. “Guys, you’re seriously believing this-!"

“Whoa! Ulric finally settled down!" Tredd interrupted from his seat next to Pelna. “And in secret too! Probably married someone ugly." Another glaive behind Nyx added.

Nyx protested again. “Hold on for a sec-“

But his best friend wasn't done. “You didn't even give me a chance to throw you a bachelor party!"

“Wait. Is she pregnant? Is that why you married her so suddenly?" Crowe pried excitedly.

“Is there gonna be a baby shower?" another glaive asked.

Unbelievable. Just unbelievable. The hero wasn't so sure what was happening. It was as if his fellow soldiers were consumed by it, like a pack of hyenas fixated on their prized meal. Once more, Nyx threw himself into the battlefield, but this time it proved more difficult than actually facing a horde of daemons.

_“Listen to me! I am not-!"_

“I'm gonna be an uncle?"

“Ulric with a wife and a kid. Now that’s something I gotta see."

“To be honest, I didn't peg you for a family man, Nyx."

_“No! Just stop for a minute-!"_

“You still owe us that bachelor party."

“Bachelor parties are held before weddings, you idiot!"

“Is there such a thing as a post wedding party?"

“Nyx, you gotta tell about the honeymoon. We need details!"

They all jabbered at the same time now. Half teasing and half serious. Every contagious idea spread like wildfire. Nyx could only clamour what he was trying to say helplessly.

“EVERYBODY QUIET!"

The glaives halted abruptly to obey the commanding voice that came from the front seat. One by one they settled down while the vehicle carried them through a dirt road.

Luche, the glaive who sat next to the driver, was holding a phone to his ear. They looked at him with anticipation and he looked at them like they were noisy school children.

“What is it this time, Luche?" Crowe whined.

“The Captain’s going to give our orders." Luche replied seriously. He tapped the phone's screen and hooked it up on a connector for the van's interior speaker.

“Good to go, sir." the second in command informed on the phone.

Immediately, the Captain's familiar voice dominated over the silence.

“ **Glaives, listen up!"** the voice ordered. **“New orders. First up is for Khara. Since Bellum can't commit to monitor duty for a while because of his injuries, you will take his shift in addition to his current one..."**

Pelna cursed to himself hushly.

**“... Altius, you're assigned to train the recruits this week. You start on Wednesday..."**

“Babysitting. Awesome." Crowe muttered sarcastically.

**“...Ostium, you will be on guard duty at the West Wall..."**

“At least you didn't get the snore fest." Libertus grumbled.

 **“...The rest are on standby and on their usual assignmen** ts..."

After that, the glaives went back to their chattering selves and remained somewhat behaved. Crowe scolded Libertus about his belching snore. Pelna sat down quietly. A few restarted a conversation. And Nyx went back to watching the outside world. But then, the speaker cracked a sound.

**“And one more thing. Ulric, congratulations on the wedding."**

Nyx placed a palm on his face and sighed.

The glaives could only do what they do best: make a ruckus about it again.

* * *

 

Street lights started to grow brightly when Nyx and Luna entered the buzzing immigrant district. Even under the darkening skies, the place boomed in its famous vibrancy. Street food venders in their rickety carts swiftly made their specialties for the quick grub and cash. Lone performers held their little concerts as worn out containers invited donations. Travelling crowds of different colors and directions went on to complete the busy ambiance.

It was another night for the Princess Oracle to explore the city. As usual, she was protected by a civilian disguise while the glaive escort, who wore casual clothes as well, was there to trail behind. Or rather, to walk with her side by side. They were too accustomed by each other’s company that, whenever they sneak out into the evening, neither fell into the royal-glaive formalities. The only custom that stuck with them was him calling her “your highness” or “princess”.

Still, in these subdued escapades, she was mostly just a woman who wanted to see the world and he was only just a man who aided in her quests.

“Is there something bothering you?"

Nyx glanced at her as they strolled. The edges of her golden locks glowed in a different hue, passing a store with a bright neon signage. Her wide eyes looked at him with concern. He made a face to ask what she meant.

“You suddenly became quiet for a while." she clarified.

“Oh… It's nothing, your highness." he assured. “I was just thinking about something funny that happened earlier."

Luna smiled. “Do tell. For my entertainment at least."

Nyx chuckled and placed his hands in his pockets. “The whole glaive thinks I'm married."

The princess looked genuinely puzzled. “Oh? Where did they get that idea all of a sudden?"

“Pelna told everyone." he sighed. “He heard it from a buddy whose mother is neighbors with a certain old lady."

Having heard that, her eyes showed that she was getting the hint. “By any chance is she named-?"

“Mrs. Collins." he completed.

The princess laughed in astonishment, reflecting the interesting situation that she had gotten him into. The glaive could still remember the incident in the convenience store like it was just yesterday. She had pretended to be his wife to help him escape an old woman’s insistence, which seemed harmless at the time. But now it caused him a great deal of annoyance that was brought by his comrades.

“I am so sorry, Nyx. I shouldn’t have pulled that act." she apologized with a snicker.

“Don't be. Nobody could've known that it would spread." he reasoned lightly. He smirked for good measure.

“Well, I did cause you more trouble - you moving into a new apartment to avoid Mrs. Collins herself." she retorted remorsefully.

The glaive shrugged to show how it was really not a big deal. “At least I got to leave that old dump for a slightly bigger dump." he jested.

“And at least it was fun pretending to be your wife." she conceded.

The comment almost made Nyx pause. He continued maintaining a relaxed stride while it reminded him how he felt during their act. It was the first time that he held her so close without the purpose of shielding her from danger and it was the first time that she planted a kiss on his cheek. The thought of the latter started to linger again, so he cleared his throat to keep himself from indulging.

“How is the apartment by the way?" she inquired.

The change of subject gave him relief. “It's nice. Has more room for more stuff and it has a small dining area." he answered simply.

They walked and chatted more about his new abode for a while before stopping at a food cart to buy fried dumplings on a stick. As they waited in the line, she asked something that made his heart jump.

“Can I see the apartment?"

Nyx tried to contain his surprise from her sudden fixation about his home by keeping his voice steady.

“You want... to see... my apartment?"

She nodded brightly. “I just got curious. I've never been to a place like it..." However, she must’ve sense his unease, so she pulled away with an apologetic smile. “...But if you’re not comfortable having me there, I understand."

The glaive watched her for a moment. He could see that she was indeed curious to see it, as much as she wanted to explore the whole of Insomnia. He felt bad not showing the enthusiasm, no matter how awkward their situation might get. After all, it was just simply showing her what it looked like. What’s the worst that could happen?

“No. It's alright. I can show you."

Her eyes lit up. “Is it really alright with you?”

He shrugged. “I'm here to help you see what you want to see, your highness."

“Are you really sure?'

“Well, let's just hope you don't see a huge rat when we get there."

* * *

 

Luna tugged his arm as they climbed the stairs. Her steps became slower all of a sudden and Nyx couldn’t help but get worried, especially that he saw her wince. The long way was their only choice of reaching his apartment since the dingy elevator had been under maintenance - according to a hastily painted sign. Unfortunately, they still needed to cover two more floors.

“Maybe I should carry you." he offered.

Luna waved it off. “It's alright. I can still make it."

“It's going to make me feel better if I take you back to the palace later without blisters on your feet."

The princess sighed. She looked down at her expensive boots and frowned. He had been right to guess it.

“Remind me to wear appropriate footwear next time we go out." she suggested for her own good.

The glaive nodded and crouched slightly to help her. She put her arms around his neck as he lifted. He carried her with one arm to support the weight from her upper body and with the other to rest her legs. And suddenly they held each other in an interesting position.

“Taking your new bride to your home?" she teased for the hilarity of it.

Nyx laughed but then he shook his head to reject the invitation to act along with it.

“Don't start, princess." he protested.

However she continued to play. “Is that how you should talk to your wife?"

“Please, stop. I've had enough teasing for today." he complained lightly. He hated the fact that she could mess with him that easily and, somehow, there’s nothing he could do to make it stop entirely.

The sound of her giggles echoed the empty stairway, but she ended with a small smile and said “Alright, I'll keep it quiet for now."

Then, he continued to climb and she kept her word. She made her body still and well rested while he carried her with each labored step. Eventually they made it to the floor where his apartment was supposed to be situated. Still having the princess in his arms, he walked a few more paces down the hall and reached the door to his home. He was about to gently bring her down when suddenly…

The door opened for them.

Nyx stiffened in confusion. Luna froze as well.

The woman that stood at the door wore a familiar bun on her dark hair. The maroon coat that wrapped her tightly was appropriate for long travels. The smile that broke out from her face revealed the lines that defined her physical age. The glaive hadn't seen that smile in over a year.

“Mom?" he uttered.

Then finally, Luna brought herself down from his grip before his arms became too weak. However, the woman didn’t wait for them to come in for the excitable greeting.

“Nyx! You’re finally here! I'm so glad to see you!"

All of a sudden, both the glaive and the princess received a warming hug from the older woman. It made him even more confused. Why on earth was she hugging the princess too?

“This must be my daughter-in-law!" Nyx's mother guessed with enthusiasm. She held the princess’ hands with motherly affection and looked at her with pride. The blonde was speechless with bafflement.

“Wait what?" Nyx interrupted.

He rushed in, leading Luna and his mother inside the apartment and, shortly, into his humble living room. It was strange seeing the older woman. He had just moved in and he hadn’t informed her about the new address.

“Mom, what are you doing here? How did you get in? And how did you even find me?"

Mom's brows creased. She looked displeased. Soon, the motherly nags started.

“Is that how you should greet your own mother? And how many times do I have to tell you not to put the spare key under the mat? Anyone could've easily entered and steal everything!"

Nyx tried to interrupt calmly. “Mom, I-"

“And you have some explaining to do, young man! You got married without telling your own mother! It breaks my heart, Nyx! How could you! I only found out when Libertus called earlier when I was on my way!"

Ah. Libertus. That chubby idiot must’ve told her about the rumor and the address to his new apartment while she travelled.

Gently butting in, Luna tried to help his situation. “Wait. Mrs. Ulric, I'm not-“

“And you, my darling, are so beautiful!" the Ulric matriarch gushed as she shifted her sights to Luna with a kinder disposition. “How could he hide you from everybody! Tell me the details!" And then she looked at them both. “How did you two meet? How did you fall in love?"

The princess started to explain again. “No, Mrs. Ulric, I-“

“Oh, my dear, call me 'Mom'." the mother corrected.

“Mom!" Nyx stressed. “She is NOT my wife and I am NOT married!'

It was the first time since they met this day that his mother actually stopped with open ears. It was her turn to get confused.

“What?… What do you mean?"

“There wasn't a wedding." he clarified.

Then she swiveled at the blonde. “Then who...…?"

Before he could supply the answer, Nyx closed the door behind him and locked it to make sure there weren't prying eyes or ears that may happen to pass by or somehow barge in. He went back to the women and glanced at Luna. The princess gave him a nod that assured him it was alright to tell.

Then he faced his mother with solemnity. “Promise me you don’t tell anyone about this."

The woman’s brows rose slightly. “Nyx, what’s going on?"

“Just promise me."

The mother sighed but she looked worried now. “Alright."

Nyx paused for a bit. Luna only watched and waited.

“Mom, I want you to meet Princess Lunafreya Nox Fleuret from Tenebrae."

And with her demured charisma, the princess oracle held out a friendly hand and said “I'm pleased to finally meet you, Mrs. Ulric."

Nyx's mom was wide eyed as she looked at Nyx and then at Luna. Her son waited and felt like she might never speak again.

“You mean... She's..."

“Yes. The one and only Princess Oracle." Nyx confirmed.

His mother paused again and looked at the blonde that stood next to her.

“OH MY GOODNESS! Please forgive my manners!"

The older woman shook Luna’s hand briskly. Luna only smiled brightly and gave the mother a kind hug afterwards. It was then that the glaive allowed himself to smile as well.

“It's quiet alright, Mrs. Ulric. You weren’t expecting me to come here anyway." the princess assured.

“Oh, you're highness, please call me Elara." the mother humbly suggested.

* * *

 

Among the very few that the heroic glaive neglected to unpack, a box - hastily labeled as “Kitchen" – was emptied of all of its contents.

Nyx received a scolding about having only plastic plates and utensils but was promptly tasked to help prepare a quick and special dinner for himself, for his mother and for the welcomed princess. He hadn’t cooked a Galahdian feast in long time. He couldn’t even remember the last time that he cooked it with his mother.

After the bustle of the mother-son tandem in the kitchen, they laid out the dishes onto the small, round table that came with the apartment. They urged the princess to sit with them to eat. She gladly did so. It didn’t take much before Elara told elaborate stories about his son. And of course, the grown-up man had to cover his face with a palm every so often out of embarrassment.

“Mother!"

“What! I was just telling her how you cried because a girl kept calling you 'Nick'. You were always so particular with names they call you when you were young."

“I was six years old back then, your highness." he clarified to Luna.

The princess chuckled before taking a bite from her well plated meal.

“I have to say, this dish is quite exquisite!" Luna praised.

Elara's cheeks blushed. “I'm so glad you find it so, your highness." she admitted. “And I'm also glad that my son's cooking wasn't so bothersome."

Nyx raised a brow and Luna chuckled once more. “Well, at least your son has been excellent in his job as my bodyguard. He saved me countless times. I owe him a lot”"

“Is that so?" the mother asked with an honored smile.

“Yes. Certainly the best of the Kingsglaive." the princess declared.

Nyx smirked and shrugged.

“She's only telling the truth." he boasted.

Elara looked at his son with pride that only a mother could express but it was quickly replaced with the worry that she had always reminded him.

“I hope you’re not pushing yourself too much.” she fretted. “I know how selfless you can be sometimes."

Nyx gave her an assuring smile. “Don't worry, Mom. I'm good at what I do and I have friends out there in the battlefield. They got my back."

“Just make sure you come home safe and sound, alright?"

Her quaking voice moved him. He felt bad seeing his aging mother still worry about him, even after years of being away from home - away from Galahd.

The elder of the Ulric children had moved to Insomnia for duty, but at the same time, had left the doting mother alone in the small family house. Nevertheless, she had insisted that he should follow his calling and she’d manage on her own. Even in their phone calls, she continued to tell him that she was doing well. She had even declined when he had offered to have her move in with him.

Still, whenever she visited him, her fears resurfaced in one way or another. He couldn’t blame her. After all, she had lost a child once before.

“I'll make sure of it." he promised.

Elara's eyes still expressed the uncertainty. But not for long.

“He will, Elara. He will always come back safely." Luna agreed.

It made him glance at the blonde who sat beside him. The princess just gave him a simple smile.

In the cramped dinning area, the warm silence stretched for a bit before the mother cleared her throat and continued on with the her son’s shameful tales. The princess started laughing again and the glaive watched as the two ladies bond effortlessly.

It was only when Nyx remembered the time that their feast came to an end. Their night was over and the princess must return to the palace. The glaive escorted her through a cab ride. They sat side by side at the back seat. Comfortably close together, their shoulders almost touching. They rode in silence for a while until he uttered out of the blue.

“Thank you.”

In the dark, her eyes revealed to him her innate curiosity. They reflected the city lights that they pass by. She made a face to ask why.

“For making it easier for her." he explained.

The princess gave the glaive the same smile that she wore during the dinner. He loved seeing it. He loved how he understood what she meant by it. However, she didn’t remain silent this time.

“It's my pleasure."

* * *

 

Nyx returned to the apartment with fatigue taking over again. He found his mother resting on the couch, watching a program on his small TV. He couldn’t help but notice that his apartment looked a little different from before he left it.

“You didn't have to clean the place." he said with an amused grin.

Elara turned to face him and formed a slight, impatient scowl. “You called that clean?"

“It was clean!" he argued .

“I saw a cockroach crawl by. Fortunately for you, the princess didn't see that!"

Nyx sighed and didn’t bother to make a reply to that. Instead, he plopped down on the couch next to her.

“How was she?" the mother asked. She looked at him with anticipation.

“She's fine. A little tired, but she's safe and sound back in the palace." Then he noticed her looking at him differently. “What's with the face?"

Mom didn't skip a beat. “Did you kiss her?"

It took a moment before he processed the audacity of his mother's words.

“What?" he blurted.

“Weren't you having a date with her before both of you came here?" she asked expectantly.

Unbelievable. Just Unbelievable.

Nyx sighed frustratingly. It was happening all over again. First the glaives yapping about a nonexistent wife and now his own mother regarding the princess as his date. He shook his head before he uttered with emphasis.

“I was NOT having a date with her, Mom. I was helping her explore the city!"

Elara gave an unbelieving stare. She crossed her arms while she still sat in the couch. “Then why carry her like a bride when you came by the door?"

“Her feet hurt!" he retorted.

“She gushed about you during dinner."

“She was just friendly! She's always like that!”

“Then how come you stare at her like she meant the world to you?”

Nyx groaned. Why must people assume? Why do they have to pry like this?

“I don't stare at her like that." he declared, believing every word of it.

Almost believing every word of it

The mother must've noticed how weak his denial was because she held his hand like she needed to push him to admit something. A mother's intuition couldn't fail even if she rarely saw her grown-up son. She just knew and somehow, it made him anxious.

“You have your father;s eyes." she told him suddenly.

It was rare for her to talk about his father. Usually, the very mention of him was the sign that he should listen. So he didn't say a word and kept his ears open. Elara continued with reminiscent eyes.

“Before we had you, I would always catch him staring at me. He'd try to hide it but I'd always catch a glimpse of those blue eyes.”

She held his hand a little tighter.

“You had the same kind of look, Nyx." she finished.

He didn't know how to respond to that. They sat in silence while the TV flashed a program he didn't care to know what. He looked at his mother and saw how much she had aged. The occasional strands of white hair and the lines on her face gave her that “old and wise” look.

“Trust me." she said. “I know it wasn't just a simple escort routine."

He did trust her. How could he not? She was the only family he had left and the only one that could love him no matter what. She saw through him and it was useless to continue to deny it.

Finally being reminded by that, he uttered the truth more effortlessly than he had to anyone.

“No, it wasn't. And It wasn't a date either." he admitted with a steady voice.

She nodded, urging him to continue.

“To be honest, I don't know what it is exactly. All I know is that it's a regular thing and, for sure, it goes against my orders..."

“And?"

He shrugged. “And it was what she wanted. Help her sneak out and roam around the city. I'm just giving her what she wanted. It was just a favor she asked me to do..."

“Until?" she urged again.

“...Until I started to want it too."

He remembered the happiness that those nights brought him. They strolled around the streets. They joked about each other's quirks. They ate the food that she hadn’t tasted before. She dragged him in her shenanigans. He protected her from the occasional goon. She protected him from awkward situations. He held her close. She kissed his cheek.

Elara gave him an encouraging smile and said “There's nothing wrong with that."

It didn't make him feel any better. “Yes, there is. She's a princess and I'm just a glaive."

His mother shook her head. “That may be. But in those nights, she was just a woman who wanted to see the world and you were just a man who wanted to give it to her... And I'm sure she cares deeply for you, or else she wouldn't have gone all this way to see where you lived.”

He chuckled at last part. In turn, she grinned.

“Anyway, I'm beat. We'll talk about this tomorrow, my dear." she announced. She stood up and gave him quick hug before planting a kiss on top of his head.

“I missed you, Mom."

“I missed you too, sweetie."

She walked away to the bedroom to sleep. He turned off the TV with the remote, remained on the couch and lied down. Staring at the cracked paint on the ceiling, he pondered about her words.

The princess was just a woman.

The glaive was just a man.

Was it really that simple?

He turned his sights to the window and saw the moon that shined brightly against the inky sky. It reminded him of how radiant the princess was tonight and how her smile warmed his heart.

Before he let himself doze off, he whispered.

“Good night... Luna."


	3. Something More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A night out gives unexpected twists for the princess and the glaive.

The morning in Insomnia's city center was in its usual noisy self. The honking cars of the rich and the middle classed rushed to their destinations with the utmost impatience. Children giggled as they walked themselves to school. Office workers held their suitcases while they ran to the train station. An old man argued with the delivery boy about the milk that arrived tardily. With a broomstick, a woman swept away the dust and litter on the street in front of her small bookstore.

Meanwhile, A Kingsglaive turned to a corner. The coat of his uniform hanged on his arm and a cellphone was held up to his ear with a hand.

“Mom, for the last time, I am not going to push through with it."

The tiny voice from the phone's speaker kept spouting the very words that had caused Nyx to roll his eyes a couple of times before. His mother may have returned to Galahd but the nags returned to plague this particular moment. It had only been a week since her departure and yet she called to remind him of things that a mother could only task themselves to say to their neglectful child.

_Find a better spot for the spare key, Nyx._

_Brush your teeth, Nyx._

_Buy ceramic plates, Nyx._

_Have you showed that you like her, Nyx?_

The glaive walked through the crowded street with the phone still on his ear. He unfolded his uniform and expertly put a free arm into one of the sleeves without having to use the other hand. He did it as he evaded the busy bodies that minded their own business. When the tiny voice repeated another phrase, he switched hands on the phone and put another arm to another sleeve.

“You're asking me to jeopardize my career.” he reminded.

It baffled him that she hadn't considered the consequences of what she was encouraging. He had already broken his orders the moment he agreed to help the princess sneak out at night and explore the city when she wished to. Pursuing her affections would be a whole new level insubordination. Even a hint of that could result to something disastrous.

However, the mother in Galahd made it sound as simple and safe as she had the first time she commented about it.

_“I'm not asking you to court her. I'm just telling you to show some appreciation. A princess deserves to be appreciated from time to time, Nyx. And I know that you want to give her something more."_

Appreciation - The golden word that almost made him rethink his worries. It was friendly and harmless, much harmless than what was truly implied. He pushed some thoughts away and retorted calmly.

“You're supposed to tell me to be a good soldier like most mothers do." he said.

Then, he heard her scoff from the other end.

_“I've been telling you to be good your whole life, but I'm also telling you that there's nothing wrong with showing some admiration to a woman."_

Admiration - Another harmless word. However, he wasn't about to give in yet.

“She isn't just any other woman and even if I were to give her something, it won't be enough." he replied.

 _“You don't know that. You should at least try."_ his mother suggested in an almost sing-song voice.

Nyx stopped his stride and sighed. “I'll continue to help her with her city escapades and I'll just be doing my job after that as always. Nothing more.”

And as usual the Ulric matriarch groaned in her own motherly way. _“Is it too much for a mother to ask for a daughter-in-law?"_

He couldn't help but express a deadpan face. “Yes. It is. Especially that you keep eyeing her for me."

The mother chuckled revealing that the question was not to be taken seriously. _“Just do whatever's good for her, Okay? Anyway, I shouldn't keep you from walking to your post. I'll call you again."_

“Oh I know you will." he smirked. “Bye, Mom."

_“Bye sweetie."_

Placing the phone back to his pants pocket, he continued to stride into the morning crowd. He tried not to think much of what his mother was asking him to do. After all, the doting mother was only hinting and teasing out of excitement for the fact that her son “likes” somebody for real, unlike with the flings that he had in the past. Somehow, that somebody being the princess didn't faze her. She proved it when she had told him seriously before – about the princess herself being just a woman who wanted to see the world and himself being just a man who wanted to give it to her. Even though the simplicity of it made him feel resolved that night, he had to remind himself that it shouldn't sound as simple.

She was still the Oracle Princess. He was still just a glaive. The world didn't spin for those facts to be disregarded.

Pushing aside his thoughts, his feet continued to move along confidently and he let his eyes wonder. He saw the noisy cars, the giggling school children, the office workers in pant suits, an old man shouting at a delivery boy, a woman sweeping the street with a generic broom stick and a moon… A moon?

Something caught the edge of his view. He stopped, walked back a few steps and saw what he thought he saw.

He was in front of a small bookstore's window which displayed a collection of books on sale behind the clear glass. At the corner, standing upright was small book that had a dark blue cover. What demanded his attention was the glistening silver crescent that had adorned it. Strangely, there wasn't a title. Just the moon against the night.

He stared at it and felt himself be drawn to it.

“It's only seventy gil."

The glaive turned to see the woman who was sweeping the street. He shouldn't be surprised to realize that she was the owner of the store, but somehow, he was.

“It used to be a hundred gil but it needs to be bought one way or another." the woman continued. “After all, it's an old book."

He looked at the book again and saw the minuscule wear and tear on the corners of the hardbound binding.

“It does look old." he commented.

“Yes, but worth every gil. It's a rare edition and the last of what the author wrote before he died." The woman explained as she approached his side.

“What kind of book is it?"

The woman answered simply. “A collection of poems. All about the moon.Can be good for a gift if you need one for somebody."

He paused for a moment, trying to figure out why he had even stopped in the first place. It only reminded him of the conversation he had earlier. The very words that rang true despite his internal denials.

I know that you want to give her something more.

He felt the words echo inside his head,daring him to take the bite and swallow his resistance. Logic told him to walk away. It told him to never give in.

“Do you want to buy it? It's a good price." the woman urged. “If you're not sure, you can check out a few pages first."

Nyx tried to listen to what logic had to say. But he couldn't.

He just had to try.

And so, he said “Okay."

* * *

 

Luna took a sip of her tea as she watched the delicate curtains float against the gentle breeze. She had been sitting by the small table in her quarters, enjoying the morning silence and the view from the window. Beyond the curtains were the abundant blossoms of the lush royal garden. The colorful collection of flowers that bloomed under the gentle sun had put her mood at ease as they always did when she was child. Even though the Lucian flora enclosure was less grand than the one she had in Tenebrae, it was still more than she could ask for. It lessened the occasional homesickness and it filled her thoughts with what was good about her situation as an adopted princess in Lucis.

She was content and she never had qualms with being just as that.

After the uninterrupted peace, there was a soft knock at the door.

“Come in." she called before looking behind.

A familiar face peaked in. She saw the small tattoos and the ocean eyes. Luna smiled. She seeing him again also helped with the positive mood.

“Good morning, your highness." The man greeted casually.

“Good morning, Nyx." she greeted back brightly.

Nyx Ulric, in his standard glaive uniform, entered the room cautiously even though he had already seen it a few times before when he needed to. A glaive's courtesy, nonetheless. She asked him to sit with her by the table to drink tea and, as always, he refused respectfully. He wasn't the one to lax even when he's alone with the princess in the palace. He just stood with a sturdy back and with his palms resting behind him to complete the guarding pose.

“Assigned for a guarding post today?" she asked while he approached.

The glaive answered dryly. “Yes, this morning before I escort you to your visit to the hospitals.”

“Ah yes. It's going to be a busy day." the princess acknowledged.

The periodic visits to the hospital were the normal routine for the Tenebraean princess. Her gifts of healing shouldn't go to waste while she stayed in Insomnia. It was part of her duty after all. While she did what she was meant to do, she couldn't help but search for something other than duty.

A smile escaped her lips again, but this time she gave more meaning to it.

“But we still have time for tonight." she said to him.

After the duty was the regular nightfall adventure. In those times, she had seen a lot of the city without the hassle that her identity brought and without having to sacrifice leisure. No crowds that would scream for her attention. No abundant measures of securing her safety. She was anonymous and she treasured it like it was a special gift. She cherished it even more because of her constant companion. Without the Galahdian glaive, those nights wouldn't be as captivating.

In the silence of the room, the same glaive gave her a knowing look. “I think so, yeah. We have time for tonight. Where do you want to go this time?"

She softly hummed a short note as she let her mind bring what she wanted. Today, she craved for excitement and there was only one place she could have it.

“The Kingsglaive Headquarters."

The glaive's brows crease a bit. “Pardon?"

“The Kingsglaive Headquarters." she confirmed.“I want to see it."

Despite the uncertainty on his face, he accepted her request. “Alright. But that's it? You just want to see it?"

She stayed silent but she kept the sly smile. In turn, the glaive sighed. He knew what the face she wore meant.

“I have feeling you want something more than just seeing it from the outside, your highness."

The princess snickered demurely before she nodded. “Yes. I want to see what's inside. Perhaps you can take me on a tour?"

“Why am I not surprise." he groaned.“I only agreed to help you explore the city, your highness. Not help you break into places."

“Technically, the Kingsglaive HQ is part of the city." she reasoned with ease. "And... so is your apartment. Interestingly enough, it didn't bother you this much when you agreed to show me your home last week."

He laughed. Like the similar instances before, she cherished the sound and mentally took note on how his face looked when he did it even though it might have been just a wry chuckle. The carefree voice and the dimpled grin satisfied her sights. However, it didn't last long because he immediately shook his head and composed himself back to the relaxed demeanor.

“That was different." he retorted lightly. “My apartment doesn't have sophisticated locking systems and bringing you there would make me less chances to lose my job."

It was her turn to laugh about it. “I wouldn't call leaving the spare key under the mat as an adequate security either."

He gave her a deadpan look which started another chuckle from the blonde

“Well, if it's truly going to be difficult, I don't mind picking a different place." she conceded.

But then, he held his chin to think. She waited.

“Hm... From what I can remember in the schedule there won't be much going on. Just Crowe training the newbies. The rest of the glaives will be on their assignments outside HQ. I think we can sneak in undetected. I'll just have to borrow the keys."

Luna turned to watch the garden again.

“Alright then." she said. “I shall meet you in the garden. Same spot, same time."

Nyx nodded to accept the order. “As you wish, princess."

They talked for a while about the preparations for her schedule before he gave his temporary farewell so he could leave for his post. She watched him turn to walk away but then she noticed a very slight buldge near his abdomen - an object hidden in an inside pocket of his coat.

When he had completely left, she wondered what it was for a little while before she immediately disregarded the thought. Finally, she continued to drink her tea and let the sight of flowers nourish her mood again.

* * *

 

The Oracle Princess' schedule was finished with only energies just a bit depleted despite having traveled to several of the hospitals in the city for the periodical healing and encouragement for patients. It was the same routine as before. Nyx stood by her side to guard while she did her duty, occasionally keeping the crowds at bay with the other guards that came with her. He drove her to wherever she needed to go next.

In the evening, the princess returned to the palace with the glaive before they temporarily parted ways. She finished dinner and he escorted her to her quarters to complete his job for the day. After that, he went out to borrow the key for their planned destination before going back to his apartment to trade the Kingsglaive uniform for the leather jacket and faded jeans.

Subsequently, what was left in his itinerary was the travel back to the palace to meet the princess in the garden.

Nyx waited for her by the small fountain at the edge of the garden. The princess was fashionably late again as he expected, however some thoughts kept him distracted in the interval. He felt the weight of the small book that rested snugly in his inside jacket pocket, which made him visualize the glistening crescent shape on the cover.

Uncertainty swirled around his head.

What if it wasn't enough? What if she wouldn't care for it?

All he could do was hope that this night might ease the nagging questions.

Breaking his contemplation, the princess emerged from the shadows. Her ponytail bounced as she took the steps. Her bright eyes spotted him immediately. She wore another one of her expensive blouses and a pair of equally pricey pants, however there was something out of the ordinary.

“Nice sneakers, your highness." he said as he smirked at the pink rubber shoes she wore.

“Better than the expensive boots." she explained with a shrug.

He chuckled. “Smart decision. No blisters. No need to carry you around."

She just grinned as a reply.

“Anyway, I guess you're all set." he said.

The princess nodded. “Yes. Let's go."

Like second nature, they sneaked out into the darkness of the night, through the gates beyond the garden, beyond the vicinity of the Citadel, avoiding the watchful eyes of the guards and security cameras. When they emerged into the outside world, they walked to the nearest turn for good measure before hailing a taxi. Soon, a cab picked them up like they were any other average citizens and, later, dropped them off at the sidewalk opposite their destination.

In the heart of the West District, there stood a gothic, stone building with the symbol of the Kingsglaive – the same one on the glaives' badges - proudly displayed at upper front of the imposing façade. It wasn't as high as the neighboring buildings but people knew better to underestimate its size. It looked like a fortress that was built to withstand the most daring of attacks. For the people, it symbolized the strength and willpower of the glaive, for Nyx it was part of his home. It was part of his calling.

“Here we are. The Kingsglaive Headquarters." Nyx proudly announce, already taking the role of the impromptu tour guide nonchalantly.

Seeing Luna's eyes widen with excitement satisfied him.

“According to the time, Crowe and the recruits are still in there for the training, but I think they'll be finished soon enough." he informed.

“How are we going to sneak in?" she promptly asked.

He shrugged. “I borrowed a copy of the security keycard from Pelna.”

Princess raised a brow and grinned. “Does he know you're taking me on a tour?"

He shook his head. “Nope. I don't even need to give him a reason."

“But how did you convince him?"

“Promised him two packs of beer."

She kept the arch brow but her lips expressed her confusion. “Just beer?"

“You'll be pretty amazed at the other stuff that the glaives are willing to do for beer." he finally said with a smirk.

Instead of going into the the building through the main entrance as he usually would on duty, he guided the princess to a nearby alley that led to the back entrance. He hovered the card over a scanner and the door opened for them without resistance.

They went up to a stairway which led to the uppermost floor and then he led her to a viewing room. The first thing they saw was the large landscape window that offered the panorama to the training grounds. The view it offered was a huge contrast to what the princess usually saw in the palace.

Large beaten boulders with scratches and burn marks due to combat practices. Dust and rushed foot prints that littered the flat ground. A dozen or so recruits in their training uniform doing erratic practice moves while Crowe screamed orders from the platform she stood on.

While the sight was very familiar to Nyx, it was entirely a different world for his guest.

“We'll just have to wait for the training to be over before we begin the tour." Nyx informed.

“It's fine." she said enthusiastically. “It's interesting to watch them train anyway. I consider it as part of the tour."

He was glad to hear it. “You get the best view at least."

Indeed, it was the perfect place to wait. As long as they kept the lights off from their end, the viewing window was inconspicuous enough for them to watch without alerting the female drill sergeant or the recruits about their presence.

Both the princess and the glaive sat side by side on chairs that were already in the room. As they watched, Nyx supplied her the details about the training moves, about how hard for it is to master them and how long it would take. Luna listened carefully and asked questions curiously.

“Is the training always this grueling?"

He scoffed lightly. “You call that grueling? Crowe's being soft compared to what the Captain did to us."

“Do tell." She urged.

“I'm talking about long hours under scorching heat, cuts and bruises and sometimes broken bones."

The princess winced for a bit. “You broke some bones?"

“Cracked a few of my ribs once."

They went on to watch and talk more about the hazardous training for a short while before they noticed Crowe signaling for the recruits that the training is over.

When Nyx felt the coast was clear, he led the princess to a previous floor with caution, making sure that none of the recruits were left wandering in the building. He finally relaxed when he saw the thick-barred gates. The metal cylinders reached the ceiling and closed off some sections of the building. It meant that Crowe followed protocol, activating the robust security system right after everybody left. It would only take a scan of the card to give them the needed access.

With a relaxed smile the glaive offered an arm to start the tour. “Shall we, your highness?"

The princess expressed the excitement with a toothy grin. She took his arm with her own and said “Lead the way, my dear glaive."

He smirked. “First up is the Armory, because I just know you want to see it first."

She chuckled and nodded. “Of course." Then she asked. “But why all this trouble for security? The metal gates seem to be too harsh even for a military building like this."

“There was an incident with some rookies sneaking in for some fun. They sorta ended up destroying walls and some equipment." he explained.

“You're not the only one who likes to break the rules I see." she amusingly reckoned.

He chortled. “The only difference between me and them is that I carefully choose what rules to break."

Finally, they walked to one of the gates. He took out the card and hovered it on the scanner.

It beeped but the gate didn't budge.

“That's weird." he muttered.

He tried again. Another beep. The gate still stood defiantly. He tried it again and again, but still, the gates weren't coming down.

It made him curse himself.

“Why isn't it working?” Luna asked with worry. He felt her arm hold his tightly.

Nyx frowned. “Not sure. Let's try the other gate."

They walked to other end of the corridor. He hovered the card again.

Beep. No entrance.

He cursed a little louder this time.

“Perhaps there's a glitch." the princess suggested. Agreeing to her guess, he took out his phone and dialed for Pelna's number before placing it on his ear. There was ringing.

And it kept on ringing.

“C'mon! c'mon! Answer the damn phone!" the Galahdian demanded impatiently.

Soon, it went to the answering machine.

_“Hey peeps! I'm busy at the moment. Just leave the message after the beep!"_

Nyx groaned in annoyance. He dialed again but the same thing happened.

Ringing and then…

_“Hey peeps! I'm busy at the moment. Just leave the message after the beep!"_

As he brought down the phone from his ear he tried to understand the situation.

The gates were closed. There was no way around them. The card was useless all of a sudden and he could only guess why. There's nobody in the building except for him and the princess. Nobody but them and the dark, quiet night.

Shortly, his mind supplied another worry.

Immediately, he ran down the stairs and towards the door where they came in. Luna followed behind with hurried steps, trying to keep up. When he saw the same thick bars, his heart sunk. Nevertheless, he hovered the card on the scanner as he panted.

Beep. But again, they were denied of access.

That was when he let out an abrupt cuss that was much louder than before. The glaive didn't care if his profanity echoed endlessly into the cold hallway.

“Are we… trapped?" the blonde behind him asked.

He turned to look at her, not hiding his anxiety. “Yep. The security system must've been scheduled to change the codes for the access cards. Or there's a really huge glitch on the system."

“Can you fix it?"

“No. I'm not a tech guy like Pelna. And even if I wanted to try, the gates still prevents us from going to the security room."

“Can we call Crowe or anybody else?"

He sighed. “No can do. If anybody finds out I took you in here I'm gonna lose my job for real or worse. Our only hope was Pelna. He's the only who can fix the system remotely without leaving his bedroom and knowing you're here."

As much as he trusted the glaives with his life, he still couldn't risk them knowing about this. His comrades being so rambunctious about the false news of him being married was still fresh in his mind.

“Is there another exit?" she continued.

“There's no other exit." Then he gestured to the locked barred door with stress. “This was our only exit."

“You mean..."

“Yes, princess. We're trapped here until they come in the morning."

Saying it out loud only made him feel worse. The building had truly trapped them as its unfortunate prisoners for the night. If he could list the worst things that happened among the times he had spent with the princess, this would top the list so far.

The glaive leaned on the wall and place a palm on his problematic face. However, the princess didn't stop to suggest things.

“Can you warp to get out?"

“I can't." he answered exhaustedly. “I left the kukris in my apartment."

She continued. “How about the other weapons here?"

“Can't. The Armory is on the other side of the building which, as you have noticed, is inaccessible" he rebuffed, adding some sarcasm.

“Can you warp there to get one?"

“That's not how it works. I'd have to be able see it to warp to it."

“There has to be another way."

Her voice was steady enough when she said it, but hearing it still made him fumble for his phone. He dialed for Pelna's number again in case the fellow glaive was there to answer this time.

“ _Hey peeps! I'm busy at the-_ “

He didn't bother finish the whole sentence. He cut off the call and sighed. He sat on the floor with his head down and continued to punish himself mentally.

_How could this be happening? Why is this happening? Why did it have to be tonight?_

The princess also sat on the cold floor by his side. He could feel her staring at him in anticipation in the silent corridor.

“Maybe I should break the door..." he muttered.

He really could. He'd just have use a fireball to blast open a new exit. Sure, it would leave a very large hole on the wall that would obviously raise dangerous questions, but at least he could get the princess out the building.

“...Or call the guys."

Maybe Crowe and Libertus could keep a secret this big without the other glaives overhearing about it. And even if the others outside his circle would know about it, they might have enough pity to not let it slip in front of the Captain.

“No." she suddenly declared. “You don't need to do any of those things."

He turned his face up to look at her. “But you'd have to spend the night here if I don't do something."

She didn't waver. “I'll be fine. I don't want you to lose your job, Nyx."

“But-"

Then her hand found its way on top of his. It made him look into those sky blue eyes and wonder why she looked so calm.

“Don't worry." she said with a small smile. “The only thing that is in danger is your career. I, on the other hand, am perfectly safe. Especially that you are here."

He let out a silent breath. A corner of his lips moved upward.

He found it interesting that no matter how hard he tried to go down the negative path, there was always one person who would make things sound so simple and encouraging. First, it was his mother. Now, it was the Tenebraean princess who was willing to sit on the blemished floor with him like a commoner. All just to offer him encouragement. He already knew she was this selfless and humble and yet he was still left amazed by her grace even for just a little while.

“So." she started as she let go of his hand. “Since the tour is a bust, how can we spend the night while we think of a way to inconspicuously leave this place in the morning?"

After a moment, an idea came to him. The glaive finally stood up and offered a hand to help the princess to do the same.

“Shall we, your highness?"

She grinned and took his hand.

* * *

Since the gates cut them off from most of the sections of the headquarters, the only places that were left for them to explore was the lounge room and the corridor where the Captain's office was situated. Nyx led her to the lounge area first. The room wasn't so spacious but at least it had a couch and a mini bar amongst other everyday furniture.

Luna sat on one of the stools while Nyx searched for the necessary materials behind the bar.

“What are you looking for?" she asked.

Crouching on the floor to search on the lower small cabinets and shelves, he answered gruffly. “Drinks, glasses and a shaker."

“Did you find any?"

“I found cocktail glasses and the shaker."

“And the drinks?"

Nyx emerged with a lopsided frown. He held up a note that he found and she read the hastily scribble lettering out loud.

“Sorry. Needed booze for the party. – Libertus."

She snickered and he just shook his head out of spite.

“Maybe that's where Pelna is at the moment.” she suggested. “And maybe that's why Crowe left in a hurry.”

“That idiot didn't even invite me." he grumbled. “Probably revenge for refusing to have a bachelor party."

She gave him a look. “Why on earth would you need a bachelor party?"

“Remember when they thought I was married?" he clarified.

It caused her to laugh a bit harder. “They took that rumor to a whole new level, didn't they?"

“They really did." he agreed with a sigh. “Even though I think half of them didn't really believe it and just wanted to have that party."

She chuckled. It made him smile.

“Anyway,“ he said, changing the subject, "I was supposed to serve you a proper drink but I guess the orange juice from the fridge and the flair would have to do."

“What's a flair?" she asked curiously.

“You'll know soon enough, your highness."

He took a napkin from under bar and, suddenly, he made it spin into the air with a swift motion of his hand before it landed perfectly on his elbow. Immediately, he flipped it again to make it land on the back of his hand before laying it easily onto the bar surface in front of her.

The napkin drop was a simple trick that he had used to show off in the past when he and Libertus still owned a bar in Galahd. Judging by the amazement on the princess' face and the claps from her delicate hands, he hasn't lost his touch after all these years of putting the bartending skills to a rest.

The former bartender didn't pause and moved on to the cocktail shaker. He poured the orange juice as the pretend cocktail mix into it, as well as a few cubes of ice, before sealing it with the lid. Then, he flipped it expertly into the air like the napkin but in a higher arc. He caught it with a hand behind him. He threw it again and made it land on his shoulder. He tilted his body a bit. And immediately, the shaker rolled down to the length of his arm like a wheel. To finish the trick, the hand at the end saved it from the drop.

After all of it, he placed a cocktail glass on top of the napkin and poured the drink on it. He even added the tiny umbrella on the side.

“That was amazing!" the princess exclaimed.

The glaive made a quick bow. “I'm glad you're entertained, you're highness."

“I am. Truly!" she beamed.

Another idea came to him. “Maybe I can teach you some of it."

She raised her brows which made her eyes look bigger. “Me? Oh I don't know."

When he saw the spark in her eyes, he knew she was just hiding behind bashfulness.

“It's not that hard." He assured with a smile. Shortly, he started to demonstrate the move he had in mind to teach her by balancing the shaker on his shoulder. Like the last part if the trick, he made it roll down onto his arm before his hand caught it.

The simple persuasion worked because immediately after watching him, she conceded.

“Alright. Teach me."

Bringing the shaker with him, Nyx moved from behind the bar and sat onto the stool next to her.

“Just relax your shoulder and try not to move too much" he said. The princess nodded.

He gently placed the shaker on her shoulder and adjusted its position for the perfect balance. She sat still and waited.

“Just lean for tiny bit and let it roll." he said.

She stretched her arm like he did and obeyed.But then the shaker wobbled halfway and fell. He caught it just in time. She giggled at her failed attempt.

"Let me try again." she said with determination.

He smirked, admiring her persistence. “Alright. Relax your arm this time."

He balanced it once more on her shoulder and then, she leaned for a bit again get the shaker to move. It rolled down her arm smoothly this time.

“Catch it!" he reminded.

And she did. She stopped the fall with a quick motion. The cocktail shaker rested in her grip.

“Nice!” he praised as he saw her wide smile.“You should add it to your skillset."

She chuckled. “I think I will."

After that he poured himself a cocktail glass of orange juice. He raised his glass to offer a toast in the the silent lounge room.

“To having non-alcoholic drinks with a princess." He saluted.

However, she gave her own. “To getting trapped in the building for a whole night with a glaive."

After that, they clinked their glasses and drank their juice on the rocks. He drank it straight up. She took a sip before finishing it. When they're done, she placed her empty glass onto the napkin.

“So." she started. “What's the next on our to-do list?"

“Well..." he muttered. “The only thing left to explore is the Captain's office down the hall."

“Are you suggesting we break into it?"

The fervor in her voice made him pause a bit. “Sounds like I didn't even need to suggest it."

The mischievous nod from the blonde was enough to tell him that she wanted this small thrill. She was shamelessly daring and he knew there was no stopping her.

“Your boredom is a dangerous thing, your highness." he stated next. “It's giving me the trouble I can't afford to have."

“Indeed." she agreed nonchalantly but with humor. “However I'm not just craving for a small adventure."

That made him curious. “What do you mean?"

“Maybe we can find something in there that can help us leave this place undetected tomorrow."

* * *

 

It was remarkably easy to break into the Captain's office. All it took was a push of the card into the slit where the old fashioned doorknob lock offered very little resistance. Nyx had been in the office many times before, but only when he was called by the superior himself. As expected, the first to greet them was the familiar bulky desk with the faded varnish. On top of it was a stack full of folders and documents.

The boring furniture and paperwork somehow made his hopes for finding something interesting fade a little. Yet, the sight didn't stop the princess to take a step into the room and begin her hunt to quench her curiosity.

They explored the office and searched for nothing in particular. They soon found out that the shelves on the wall and the steel cabinets only stored – surprise! surprise! – more paperwork.

“I have a feeling your captain is not very fond of amusing himself with things other than work." Luna commented as she casually pulled a drawer on the desk.

Nyx placed his hands on his waist and stared at the wall to the right, specifically at the usual Kingsglaive logo that had the words “For Hearth and Home" engraved under it.

“You can say that again." he agreed. “The man's a committed workaholic, probably drowning himself in paperwork for downtime."

“Or maybe he likes to listen to music."

He turned and saw the princess staring at the contents of the drawer she had just opened. He paced to her side and immediately found out what she had sighted.

A flat, transparent, plastic container that was labeled as “Playlist" with a permanent marker. In it was a shiny disc.

“Huh." The glaive puffed. “It's either this office is sound proof or he only played music when he's all alone. And a CD? Who uses CDs anymore?"

“Captain Drautus isn't so boring after all, is he?" the princess jested.

Soon, they found a cabinet nearest to the desk that stored a remote-controlled CD player. It was connected to a couple of bulky speakers that were kept with it. They took the player and speakers out of the cabinet, plugged it onto outlet and inserted the disk. With a push of button on the remote, music started playing.

The first song that blasted the silence of the room surprised them.

“The Captain… listens to rap?" Nyx uttered bewilderingly.

Luna also reacted with a weirded-out expression before laughter escaped her lips. The glaive pushed the button again and was bombarded with a shrilly ballad song.

The glaive cracked up. “This got fascinating pretty quick."

He pushed the button for the third time and an instrumental music played. The soothing violins and the piano filled the air.

He was about to press the button again when the princess stopped him.

“Don't." she ordered.

The glaive gave her a look to ask why.

“I know this song. My mother used to play it when she was teaching me and my brother the waltz.:

Then, he saw that familiar spark in her eyes. Her boredom was, indeed, very dangerous.

“Oh no." he gulped.

She didn't hesitate to give him a sly smile. “Oh yes!"

Before he could protest she dragged him by the arm to the hallway where the music was still loudly audible. He stood with refusal. She kept the cheerful look.

“I'm not a good dancer." he warned.

Still, the princess raised her hands at a certain height, awaiting for him to hold her as his partner.

“I find that to believe." she stated.“Especially you had already boasted about mastering those elegant combat moves and showed me bartender tricks."

"Hey, I may be the best glaive and bartender around here but it doesn't mean I ain't clumsy on the dance floor." he grumbled.

Again, she persisted. “Just dance with me, Nyx. Just for tonight"

He couldn't resist those doe eyes that pleaded. He puffed out a surrendering breath and placed his one hand on her palm and the other on her back. Soon, her squeaky rubber soles she moved gracefully into the dimmed hallway in accordance to the slow tempo, dragging him along into the performance.

His feet followed hers. Hesitantly at first. But, after a few turns and sways, he was able to confidently move with her. They glided on the tiled floor like it was meant to be danced on.

The elegant waltz came to a halt with a perfect stance. With their straight backs and heaving lungs, they looked at each other with some intensity. Their eyes didn't break the contact for a while, even when the silence took over once more.

Slowly, they let their hands fall while their palms form a gentle hold. His calloused fingers wrapped on her thin palm. Her breathing relaxed.

Nyx felt it. The warmth that he had felt many times before since he was assign to guard her life.The warmth that he had only felt with her.

Suddenly, the next song interrupted the moment. Another beat with incomprehensible words.

The princess tittered. “He really is fond of rap music."

He laughed as well. “Rap music, ballads, classical... You have one weird playlist, Cap."

Without finishing the awful song, he turned off the music with a push of a button.

“It's getting late, princess. We should hit the sack." he muttered as he put the remote in his pocket.

The princess nodded and released a yawn.

They hastily returned the music player into the cabinet and locked the office door. Then, they retreated to the lounge room and turned off the lights.

He locked the door to prepare for the eventual morning surprise.

“At least, it might buy us time when they come in.” he said. “I'm counting on the hangovers they get from that party to make them sloppy enough for us to escape."

“Then let's hope Libertus invited all of the glaive for good measure." she added.

Soon, she took her place on couch and began to slumber silently. He sat on the floor, leaned his upper body on the wall and closed his eyes. Sleep hadn't taken over him yet. He tried to think of an escape plan.

Maybe they could get lucky. The glaives might meet at the training area first before going into the lounge. Maybe the Captain would give emergency orders first. These possibilities would give them just enough room to sneak out undetected.

After the long contemplation, he sighed, surrendering to his body's need to rest. Out of habit, he opened his eyes one last time to check of any signs of danger despite the calmness of the room. His sights wandered on the mini bar, on the fridge, on the closet, on the potted plant and finally on couch where the princess' silhouette was found.

Seeing her tiny form in the dark reminded him of the book in the inside jacket pocket.

I shouldn't have bought it, he mentally scoffed.

It was too small of a gift for someone like her. She deserved more and a man like him could never give her that.

In the lonely corner, he closed his eyes and let the fatigue put everything to rest. Tomorrow, he would take her back to where she truly belonged and he would walk away again to only do his job.

Nothing more.

* * *

 

The Oracle Princess woke up to the subdued morning light brought by the tiny, barred window on the wall. She stretched and sat up only to find him leaning at the wall by the corner. His eyes were still closed and he breathed slowly. It was the first time she had seen his face like this – serene and uncaring of the world. But she guessed that maybe he didn't have an entire night to his slumber, because she found his leather jacket draped up to her shoulder like a blanket.

It made her smile.

Then...

She heard muffled voice from the other side of the door.

Her eyes widened in panic and her feet found their strength to go over to the glaive to wake him up. She shook him urgently. He stirred and immediately found consciousness.

“They're here." she whispered with a raspy.

With his blue eyes much more alive, he responded by standing up immediately. The peace in his face was immediately replaced by dread. They stood up searched for a hiding place until he pushed her to a direction.

“There." he pointed at closet with a low voiced order.

Quickly, she got to the closet, opened it and placed herself in its safety.

The doorknob started moving.

He hesitated. “I don't think I can fit!" he mouthed silently.

“You can fit! Just get in!” She retorted with an equally hushed demand.

He cursed before he tried to squeeze into the same closet. She helped by pulling in him by the shirt.

They closed the closet's door just in time before another entrance opened.

They found themselves stuck in the confinement with their bodies pushed together. The closet was so small that they didn't have space in between them, leaving them little room for motion. Her head pressed on his chest. She could hear his racing heart.

“And this is why I prefer a good old fashioned doorknob!" complained a voice from outside. Luna guessed it as Libertus'. "Not those keycard things with all those glitches! Can,t even open the gates!"

A female voice scolded, having expressed it due to a hangover. She recognized it as Crowe's. “Could you keep it down! My head hurts!"

“Dunno what happened with the system. But I think a reboot will fix it.“ third voice said. Pelna, she mentally noted.

After a short silence, the stout glaive talked again. "Eh. At least I got the booze out before the computer stuff went haywire.”

“It's not like it helped the party anyway." the female glaive muttered.

“Yep. It couldn't have gotten duller." Pelna added.

Libertus was offended of course. “Hey!"

The techy glaive continued. "Nyx was better off not getting invited after all."

Crowe laughed. “So much for your revenge party, Libs." But then, her tone changed.“By the way, where is Nyx? I thought he'd be here already."

“That idiot is probably stuck in his guarding shift at the palace. Maybe pissed off the Captain again and earned another shift." said Libertus.

“Last time I saw him was when he came over to my apartment yesterday borrowing a copy of the access card." The other man said.

Libertus scoffed. "Why on earth would he ask for that?"

“Beats me. He promised me beer and I just gave him the card."

“Dude. That's like against protocol. Did he say why at least?"

“Nope. And besides, Nyx is a big boy. I'm sure he has a good reason. He always breaks the rules for good reasons"

Crowe interjected. “And next thing we know, he's breaking orders that will get him fired."

“What kind of orders?" Pelna asked.

“Something that involves the princess."

“You mean he..."

“Yep."

Both men uttered a surprised laugh. Luna heard the thumping of the chest against her ear as the people outside chatted. It drummed faster than it did before.

"What. You guys didn't notice?" the female glaive jeered. “Judging by the way he looks at her, the guy is smitten. He could really go for it."

“Well." Pelna conceded. “He was a bit weird around her when I got to escort the princess with him one time."

Still, Libertus laughed it off. “Nah. I'd have to see it to believe it."

When the glaives continued to talk about their missing friend, Luna felt Nyx's torso shift a little.

“What are you doing?" she whispered.

"I have an idea." he replied quietly.

A few moments later, he held up an object. The princess recognized the shape in the dark as the music player's remote. Now that she thought about it, she couldn't remember if they were able to unplug the player last night. Their exhaustion must've caused them to neglect.

“We didn't unplug it?" she asked.

“Let's find out." he shrugged.

He pushed a button and they waited. It didn't take long before another glaive opened the door to the lounge room.

“Hey guys, there's something weird going on." said a voice that Luna didn't recognize.

“There's always something weird going on." Libertus lazily uttered.

"No, no. Listen. I think rap music started playing from the Captain's office."

“Rap music?"

“Hear it for yourself."

The unknown glaive must've opened the door wider because now Luna could here the said music echoing from down the corridor.

“The heck!?" Crowe reacted. It was clear that they only knew their superior as a stoic man. Not a rap enthusiast.

Immediately, feet shifted.curiosity got the better of them. The glaives left the room to investigate before closing the door behind them.

Judging by the silence that came immediately after, the coast was clear.

“Well done." she praised.

"Don't congratulate me yet. We still have to sneak out before they lose interest." Nyx reminded.

And so they snuck out silently out of the room. While taking careful steps,they witnessed a small crowd of uniformed glaives gathering around the door on the Captain's office, their backs facing the hero and the princess, oblivious to their presence.

Soon, the two reached outside world without detection. They hailed a cab as quickly as they could and told the driver to step on it.

* * *

 

They entered the garden with fatigue starting to grow in their bodies. They were finally back to where they had started like in the other aftermaths of their night adventures, but it was the first time that they have returned with the sun already up. The flowers bloomed again. The morning sun rays made the greenery picturesque.

As they walked silently onto the grassy path, Luna held the leather jacket that Nyx had used to blanket her during her peaceful slumber. She had kept it wrapped around her when they hid at closet. She continued to wear it during their inconspicuous travel back to the Citadel. Now, it hanged on her arm. She began to unfold it to return it to him but something fell out from its inner pocket.

The princess stopped her stride and picked up the fallen object. She saw the blue cover and the shining silver. She saw a moon against the night. Immediately, her fingers flipped it open. She was in awe at what she read.

Adoring words filled the pages, telling her that someone had admired her, telling her that someone has given his heart to her.

"What's this?" she asked.

The glaive stopped at the inquisitive voice. He turned around and noticed that she held the book in her delicate palms. He gulped and he tried to find the words to answer her question.

“It's..."

An impulsive decision. A fool's attempt. A worthless gift.

It's nothing, logic said.

However, he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud. Instead, he went for the simple fact of what it was.

“It's a gift." he said.

Curiously, she asked. “For who?"

“For someone who deserved better." he answered.

She knew who he meant to give it to. The way he tried to impress her told her. The manner of how he held her hand in their dance showed it. The beating of his heart confirmed it.

Even other people saw it before last night's events. His mother. His friends. It all made sense.

“I'm sure she'd treasure it." she replied.

He gave her an ironic smile and slightly looked away. “I find that hard to believe, your highness."

She began to move forward and held the book tightly. For the first time in a long time, she wanted to break free from contentment and reveal something more.

Thus, she uttered. “I assure you, my dear glaive, that you had already won her affection."

It made him look into her eyes all of a sudden. She continued.

“You had won it even before you had thoughtfully planned to give this precious gift.“

Nyx held his breath. A princess shouldn't say those words to him. How could she say them even after he had regarded his attempt to give her more as wasted effort? Surely, those nights that he had helped her enjoy weren't enough to elicit that kind of reaction. And that gift that he had unwisely bought wasn't as precious as the jewels that adorned her each day.

The princess saw his ocean eyes stare at her in confusion and uncertainty despite her honest confession. The sight made her move forward again. It made her do what words couldn't possibly express.

She held his cheek and tipped her toes.

She melded her lips with his.

Surprise came over him but it was quickly replaced by the pure bliss that only the blonde woman could ever bestow him. His eyes closed. Their mouths moved mutually as they began to hold each other closer under the glistening dews of dawn. It only ended when both felt the need for air.

She smiled and said breathlessly. “Do you believe me now?"

Her heart soared when he made that dimpled grin again. She would do anything to see it everyday. The most beautiful flowers couldn't even compare to the happiness that it could give her.

He stayed silent as he panted because he knew she didn.t need him to utter the answer. The princess had made the glaive understand that the he was enough. Plain and simple.

He adored her and, as she had declared earnestly, she adored him back. That was all he should care about.

While they still held each other, he leaned down to give a second kiss.

But...

Something rang.

The glaive stopped, reached for his pocket and took out the buzzing phone. Captain Drautus' name registered on the screen in bold letters.

The world mattered again, however, it couldn't take away his happiness this time. But for now, the call for duty must be answered.

“I should probably go and take this." he said.

“I agree." she chuckled. “I've given you enough trouble."

With one quick, but affectionate, peck, they bid each other farewell. He took his jacket. She held the book to her chest. The glaive left the garden relishing the image of her in his arms. The princess went back to her quarters already missing his presence dearly.


	4. Unwind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luna drags Nyx into the a party he wasn’t in the mood for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After such a long time and a bout with a writer’s block I finally have the mood and the time to write this. It’s not my original plan and I kinda struggled with it, but I kinda like it. It’s the last chapter for this series and I’ll just probably write drabbles referencing this universe for future oneshots. I have some ideas for more fics, I hope I can write more soon. Special thanks to [fabulanova-ffxv](http://fabulanova-ffxv.tumblr.com/) for being my beta reader. And I credit [loveiscosmicsin](https://loveiscosmicsin.tumblr.com/) for Luna’s nickname I used here other than “Your Highness” and “Princess.” xD

“It itches.”

“Does it really?”

“Well, on my neck it does.”

Nyx watched Luna skip steps to the pile of unusual clothes at the corner of the shop. She was busy again, trying to find another costume that would fit him. He brought up a hand on his neck, stubbornly scratched on the skin and subsequently caught a glimpse of himself on the mirror.

He looked silly, which may be the point of all this. The glaive had only a few instances to dress up. For the job, for a date and for rare occasions such as the one he had revealed to her earlier. Though, he didn’t intend to ever go to such party. In all honesty, he found it silly. Like the brown fur suit and the bear ears he now wore.

Two weeks of vacation. It was something unheard of in a while.

Nyx was sure that the rest of the glaives had doubted that they heard it right when their Captain had said it in his usual gravelly voice.  The few months before were filled with missions and battles that came each day. Rest had only arrived in the form of slumbers – often cruelly cut short by the emergency deployments and city assignments. They had been overworked to the point that the very mention of the ‘vacation’ had taken some time to sink in. Not for a long while though, because the glaives had decided to have a costume party.  

But for Nyx, he chose to not look forward for such event. And while he remained in the slow process of starting his vacation, a certain princess had proposed an expected night out.

“It’s a date, your highness.” he had replied, sweetly.

And it was a date. The one that involves holding hands, whispering on each other’s ear while they walk on the calm streets and letting sweet talks be in the atmosphere before it escalates to kisses.

However, Nyx hadn’t gone to the last part yet. Because her attention was now stolen by this dreaded party.  

Luna acquired another furry costume from the pile and asked the shop attendant if it was hypoallergenic. The attendant nodded. The princess, disguised in a sweater and jeans, cracked a grin. Her ponytail bounced as she walked back to him.

“Try this one.” she said, handing over the costume that Nyx realized was colored in bright pink.

The glaive raised a brow. “Is there any else besides this one?” The he scratched again on the spot on his neck where it itched. “Something discreet perhaps?”

She shook her head. “It’s the only one in your size and the only one that won’t cause an itch.”

A scowl started to form on his face and her eyes spotted it before he could match it with his words.

“Nyx you don’t have a choice.”

She was right. He had relinquished all choices when he had accidentally slipped out a mention of the costume party. How can he say no to the sky blue eyes that longed for adventure? It was all over for him. The slender hand had tugged his arm affectionately as she led him to the shop. The smile of excitement had appeared on her face as she looked for costume after costume.

_There’s no going back, Ulric._

Nyx took the pink costume and went into the dressing cubicle. He took his time to take the bear outfit off and to zip up into the one she had given. Maybe they’d be late enough to the point that there’s only a few minutes to spare in the party. Maybe she’d change her mind while he was taking too long in here.

After about a good amount of time, he revealed himself from the curtained cubicle and expected a reaction.

“Oh that’s perfect!” she exclaimed, with her hands making a single clap.

But then, he noticed something different about her clothes. She appeared before him in shimmering sequins and in a red-haired wig. It seemed, while he was in there changing, she got herself her own costume.

His mind whispered again.

_She longed for adventure, remember?_

He rushed out with his white fluffy tail. “Oh no no no we can’t!”

Going into a crowded place where people knew him well should be the last thing that a couple like them would do. A relationship between the Princess Oracle and a member of Kingsglaive was unmentionable. Four months in and they still couldn’t trust anyone with this information yet, not even their friends.

Despite his alarm, she remained calmed. “No one will recognize me.”

“They will if they look close enough!” he countered.

Her smile didn’t waver. “They won’t look that close.”

“Your Hi-“ he stopped himself and eyed the attendant that may or may not be eavesdropping from the cashier’s corner. Then his focus went back to her.

“Lu,” he called her, it was one of his affectionate nicknames for the lady when royal monikers can’t be used. “you’re dragging us into trouble again.”

She snickered. “Did you actually think I’d cut this date short for you to go in there alone?”

Nyx placed a hand – a paw - on his face. “We were having a perfect night already. We don’t need to go to this party.”

“Yes, we were having a perfect evening.” She agreed, then her smile lessened. “But you are not relaxed.”

He scoffed. “That’s ridiculous! Can’t you see how relaxed I am?”

She crossed her arms. “You don’t fool me.”

Nothing would fool her, it seemed. All Nyx could do was sigh and let her drag him into the night.

* * *

They were at the entrance of one of the halls in the Kingsglaive Headquarters. Upbeat music spilled out when the large wooden door opened. Luna was fixing his faux ears when Crowe’s voice interrupted.

“Let me guess.” The female glaive crossed her arms, or rather, her wings. “You’re a teddy bear with oversized ears.”

Nyx faced his friend, having none of her sarcasm. “I’m a bunny.”

He was wearing a furry onesie. Complete with the long ears, that kept drooping either on the front or the back of the hood, gloves that looked like furry oven mitts and hand drawn whiskers on his face courtesy of the princess.

“A very pink bunny.” Crowe emphasized.

His eyes remained deadpan. “Brings out my eyes, black bird.”

“I’m a crow you idiot.” Crowe corrected, spreading her arms where the wings were attached. As expected, the female glaive was meticulous with the details on her costume. Even chose to use realistic looking feathers.

Nyx held in a laugh but grinned. “You really took your name seriously, or was it Pelna’s idea?”

“Oh shush! Don’t change the subject.” she quickly cut with a hint of a blush growing on her face, obviously still not used to people teasing her with the new boyfriend. And then she brought observing eye to the woman next to him.

“Aren’t you going to introduce me the ballerina?”

Nyx held the small of Luna’s back. “This is…”

He turned to view her. The pink, shiny sequins on her top made her sparkle. Below the standard ballerina tutu was her legs in stockings of the same color, straightly positioned as if she was indeed a dancer. The red haired wig had a pair of curls on the side and a bun at the back. The glaive was relieved that she looked different as promised. Different enough that Crowe was fooled. But his eyes still drank in her beauty even when she was cloaked in costume.

“…Stella.” he finished. It was a cover name she had always used.

“It’s nice to meet you.” Luna held out a hand, smiling. “You must be Crowe.”

Crowe took it for a quick shake. “Nice to meet you.” The friend smirked. “And I thought Nyx here has quit the fun and romance. But here he is, with a date.”

The princess’ cheeks appeared as pink as the bunny next to her. She too, wasn’t used to hearing someone imply that a certain man was romantically involved with her.

Nevertheless, she responded gladly. “My boyfriend here wouldn’t have come at all if it weren’t for my convincing.”

Crowe stilled and was now wide eyed. “…Come again?”

Nyx stiffened. Did the princess actually admitted it out loud? He cleared his throat before he spoke.

“Yeah, she’s my girlfriend.”

There. He said it too. Spoken and revealed to someone else. And he felt good afterwards – felt some amount of freedom. The glaive and the princess looked at one another, giving each other smiles. Then, as expected, his friend would not keep her silence.

“ _Your_  girlfriend!?”

It was bunny’s turn to shush her. “Can we just get inside, please.”

The crow pushed the door. “Oh do enter! Mister pink-bunny-with-a-secret-girlfriend!”

All that small commotion was left behind when they finally stepped into the hall. Lights, beaming from a stage, moved about on the walls and on the floor. There was a  DJ manning the turntable and the switches for the beats. Tables and sofas on the sides were partly filled. The dance floor was only occupied by a handful of people – glaives dressed up like a cacutar, a giraffe and a doctor. Crowe pointed the couple to the seats and left them to check on the food – since she was the one assigned to organize this party – and to be with the other costumed glaives, probably to gossip about the newfound information. Meanwhile, the ballerina held on the bunny’s furry arm.

“I never got to ask what party is this for.” she voiced loudly in the loud music.

Yes. She had dragged her too soon for him to ever tell more about it. He replied, also with a loud voice.

“It’s the Kingsglaive Anniversary. We didn’t get to celebrate it like this before - with all of this stuff -  ‘cause it always fell on a busy week. But now, since, it’s on the two-week break, we finally get to have it.”

“Why a costume party?”

“The glaives voted on it.”

He noticed her eyes drift away and scan at the attendance. “Seems like the vote doesn’t stand.” she informed.

Nyx nodded in agreement. The number of people present was obviously less of the total glaive population. Not ever half of it. Mostly the veterans were the absentees - including the captain, who was probably buried under paperwork - and the rookies who might had thought that a costume party is lame.

“Well.” she shrugged, “It’s still a party. It’s up to us to have fun.”

They walked to the side where the music wasn’t blasting too loud and picked a sofa but before they could relax in their seat, Malboro came into view. Libertus dressed as Malboro, to be exact. The fellow Galahdian sifted through the party goers with his Styrofoam tentacles occasionally smacking shoulders and faces, earning him dirty looks. But his green painted face wore mean look on its own.

“ _You have a girlfriend!?_ ” Libertus exclaimed when he was finally near enough.

Gossip had travelled too quick.

“Hey Libs buddy, this is Stella.” he introduced calmly, “And Stella, this is Libertus.”

Luna stood. A friendly hand extended like before. “It’s nice to meet you, Libertus. I’ve heard so much about you.”

The guy in green made a quick smile and took the hand. “Likewise lady, I haven’t heard so much about you.” And then he returned the scowl for Nyx.  _“’Cause this chum never says anything!_ ”

He dropped his behind next to them on the couch, the ballerina being in between the bunny and Malboro.

“I’m your best friend!” Libertus reminded. “Why did you keep something like this from me? Since when did  _you_  have this  _secret_  relationship? Why do we only know this  _now_?”

Nyx held his hands – his bunny paws – up in defense. “Take it easy buddy. One at a time.” Luna giggled. The best friend calmed and lowered his voice.

“Dude, I’m hurt.” The Malboro-costumed pouted

“Sorry, man.” Nyx said lightly, knowing well that his best friend wasn’t that hurt and has already forgiven him by now. “You know I have my reasons.”

“Yeah, you do. Lots of ‘reasons’ why you didn’t want to come to the party in the first place. Lots of ‘reasons’ why you’ve been so extra lately.” Libertus pointed out, air quoting the word ‘reasons’ with his fingers twice.

“Extra?” Luna voiced.

“Yep.” The best friend jested. “Pink bunny here called me a few times asking if there are orders from the Cap. As if the two months of going back and forth isn’t enough. I’m like ‘Dude. You gotta relax and join the party.’ But nope, he says he’s too busy.”

And then he eyed Nyx’s girlfriend, smirking. “Now I know why.”

Nyx rolled his eyes before leaning forward. He didn’t need this kind of exposure and the teasing about his personal life, especially with Luna hearing every word.

“I think black bird needs you at the food station.” he suggested, hoping the friend would just leave them be.

“Nah, she can call Pelna for that.” The stout Galahdian disregarded. “Hey, speaking of Pelna where is-“

Words were cut off and Nyx saw Libertus’s sights land on something on his right. He followed the gaze and soon became a little startled to find something that none of them had seen take the seat next to the bunny while they were all talking.

It was another crow. But unlike Crowe’s costume which exposed her face, this guy had a huge comical version for the head - hiding the person’s identity entirely. The green cap and the sleeveless suit of the same color made the crow too familiar. It was a mascot from a popular fast food chain. And it was sitting silently like a lounging statue, with one hand, or wing, holding a beer bottle.

The sight of this sudden seatmate was unsettling

Luna spoke first. “Do you know who this is?”

Nyx answered cautiously. “I don’t think I wanna know.”

The crow’s head slowly and eerily turned to face the pink bunny. Nyx felt the goose bumps prickle under the costume. Then suddenly….

_“CAW KIDS! IT’S KENNY CROW!”_

The mascot was screaming the tag line and jumped up to stand with its wings raised up like it was about to pounce.

Nyx almost jumped, but he raised a protective arm for his lady. Luna almost did too but she held onto him as reflex. Libertus almost fell off from his seat. While it happened, the bunny and Malboro shouted foul language as opposed to the princess’ well mannered phrase of surprise.

A few seconds later the mascot’s chortle was heard, muffled inside the oversized head.

“Oh man! I totally got you guys so good!.”

Nyx recognized the voice, but Libertus beat him to saying it out loud.

“Pelna!? The hell!”

Pelna still laughed heartily as he took the crow’s head from his own. 

Nyx fixed his bunny ears and gave a calmer reaction. “Dude, what’s wrong with you?”

“I’m just having fun here.” The prankster in the mascot replied, then he cracked a toothy smile. “Couldn’t resist it.”  

Libertus sighed. “You’re gonna scare off Nyx’s lady love.”

And then Pelna spots the ballerina, as if for the first time and about to start to be apologetic.

Luna waved it off and said “No it’s fine. I’m not that bothered by it.”

Nyx introduced her to Pelna and vice versa. The prankster and the ballerina shook hands, right before Pelna finally apologized and began to jest that he had once thought Nyx had given up dating . But the conversation was cut short when Crowe bellowed his name so he could help her arrange the beer kegs

“Be right there Babe!” Pelna called back to other crow. “Anyways, Stella nice of you to drag Nyx here. And Nyx, dude, you’re should wear this costume on the job sometimes.” Somehow he laughed alone on that, but the man didn’t seem to care that he did. “Bye, see ya later!”

As the mascot ran to his love, Libertus sighed. “I need a drink.”

The Galahdian Malboro got up and sifted into the crowd to fetch himself a bottle. Luna and Nyx stayed put. She scooted closer.

“They seemed so thankful that I dragged you here.” she began, staring at him with those gentle eyes. “They worry about you.”

Nyx only managed to let out a weak scoff. “What makes you think that?”

“Because it’s obvious that they see what I saw earlier.” she said. “Restlessness.”

And just like that, she read him like a book. Those few days before this night was a lot of watching TV while boredom took over. And he had thought boredom wasn’t so bad. If there’s nothing to do there’s peace at least.

But no, boredom didn’t give him peace.

It kept him uptight, always thinking of things he should do, always trying to find a way to get busy again. And it got to the point that he had begged to be given orders - which he had been immediately denied of. And now his friends and his princess were keeping a close eye on him.

Nyx returned her gaze her and didn’t felt the need to deny what she pointed out this time.

“Nyx,” she called, affectionately, “just let the world fade for a while and cut loose.”

He gave her a wry smile. “That’s the problem, Princess. I think I forgot how to.”

The princess was about to reply but then their attention was caught by the arrivals to the party. It was some of the supposed absentees.

The bunny could recognize each of them. Luche wore a pirate costume. Sonitus held a toy lightsaber and wore a layered robe – a Star Wars fan, no doubt. Axis wore his own version of Malboro. Libertus would freak. And… Drautus? - No that can’t be. Nyx observed for a while before he realized it was actually Tredd wearing a replica of the Captain’s uniform and sporting penciled lines on his face to match the scars and wrinkles.

One of them shouted at the bunny while wearing an amused grin. Luche the pirate.

“Ulric! I heard you have a girlfriend now!”

Yep. Gossip had travelled too quick. Someone probably texted the guy about it.

“Yeah! You sound so surprised!” Nyx shouted back against the thumping music.

“I thought you quit dating!”

“Why does everybody think that!”

“Because you spend too much time gawking at the princess!”

The arrivals laughed. Luna giggled. Luche’s joke was just that - a joke. Or maybe it didn’t sound like a joke, because she looked slyly at Nyx. Then, she stood up and held her waist just above the tutu. He face turned angry.

“ _Is that so!_ ” she shouted at him.

Nyx was bewildered for a moment. “What are you doing?”

She sneaked in a grin. “I’m just making Stella believable for the others.” Right after that she returned the fake anger.

“People aren’t ever loo-” But he was interrupted with her continuing a girlfriend’s tirade.

“ _You gawk at the Princess!?_ ” she gasped, rather too dramatically.

It made him smirk and join in the act, but rather unseriously because this was more of play than reinforcing her cover. “Babe! That’s not true! I actually hate her!”

She stifled a giggle, her face barely holding the pretend fuming. “Is that so? Then tell me what you hate about her!”

And Nyx mustered whatever he could spew at the moment. “I hate how she eats too much salad! how she always wants me to pick flowers every morning! And how she braids my hair!”

She finally broke the act, curiosity in her eyes. “Really? Even the braids?”

The way she turned serious all of a sudden made him laugh and cup her face with his furry mitts. “No” he murmured with mirth, eyes smiling. “I actually love how you share your salad with me. I love picking flowers for you in the morning. And I most definitely love, how you braid my hair.” A pause. “Were you worried?”

“A little bit. You sounded convincing for a moment.” she answered, and then she commanded “Just don’t call me ‘babe’ again.”

They both let out laughter, while the glaive mentally noted that she hated the nickname. A moment after he caught his breath, he glimpsed on how she beamed.

“I think you’re on your way to remembering.” she said.

He managed to make that lopsided smile, under the penciled whiskers, eyes tracing on her exquisite features under dimmed light.

The music continued to pulsate and more people showed up. Rookies, apparently not thinking that the party was too lame for them at all. Their costumes were certainly more colorful. More animal suits, a fireman, superheroes, Malboro - strike three, and some that were difficult to determine at first glance. At their arrival, the DJ changed the track into something more inviting for people to bust a move, certainly not shying away to go beyond the usual upbeat. And that, surely, attracted the glaives into the dance floor faster than anyone could notice. It would soon be a sea of people moving to the beat.

No matter how late it had been, the party found its way to start on its own.

The ballerina tugged the bunny’s arm, pulling him up and away from the safety of his seat. His objections spoke with the stiff resistance of his feet, but it was futile. He could only watch her leading the way with the tutu bouncing as she walked

“I’m gonna step on your toes!” he warned, shouting against the music and mixing in a chuckle at the same time.  

She looked back at him with those doe eyes that conveyed of assurance. She was leading him into the night, into the craziness, just as she had always did. Her hand didn’t grip too hard nor pulled too sternly; it simply held like a link. In a momentary silence between beats was when he was able to hear her voice clearly.

“You won’t.”  

They were now surrounded by bodies in the frolic. It didn’t take a while before the couple got into the beat. They jumped as the crowd did when the tempo called for it. Nyx could still feel link between him and the princess, not physical but of something he could feel inside. It only grew stronger as they moved together. Smiles, dumb and radiating the fun that they were feeling, adorned their lips. Hands held on together to keep themselves from parting.

It was freedom in so many ways that Nyx was seeing and experiencing, reminding him of the days of his youth when the world’s matters didn’t invade his thoughts. No one could’ve sparked that in him except for a princess that led the way.

And from then on, the party continued to exceed everyone’s expectations. Pelna challenged Axis for a dance off. He lost, much to everyone’s entertainment. Libertus made peace that he wasn’t the only Malboro present by inviting the other Malboros for a drinking game at the bar section. Tredd went on scaring rookies with his mean Drautus impression. Crowe offered two gift certificates for Galden Quay in the  Kingsglaive warping contest. Nyx would’ve won if Luna hadn’t accidentally distracted him with a blow of her kiss.

Drinks were consumed. Kegs were emptied. Glaives drunkenly shouted “For Hearth and Home!” while they held more bottles that were probably better off unopened. However, the bunny and the ballerina managed to keep themselves sober enough for each other’s sake.

When the night became quieter, when the music had switched to an oldie and most were too spent to do another round of beer pong, the bunny strolled with the ballerina into the training grounds. They sat onto the stone steps where Nyx had always hanged around during the day.

Luna tried to fix his bunny ears, wiping away the confetti. His fingers found a thin wave of blonde hair that fell on the side of her face. He tucked it back under the wig in case anyone comes in. The two watched the stars as they rested. His arm steadied as she leaned on it. Her head stayed on his shoulder

“I’ve been wondering.” he began. “Why the ballerina outfit?”

“As soon as I saw the tutu, it reminded me of a ballet performance I saw as a child.” she uttered.

“Nostalgia.” he added on that and she nodded.

There was silence for a while before she spoke again. “How about you? Any nostalgic moments from this night?”

He shrugged. “Yeah. Lots.” A smirk on his lips. “Fun times with friends.”

Her head moved, the wig grazing his jaw. “I’m glad you had them. I’m glad to be have witnessed it now.”

He held the smile. “You’re part of it now.”

There was no pondering needed. Just simple realization that true peace wasn’t out of reach. It was there sitting with him, wearing a tutu. Only she could lead him into this state of rest with her hand holding his, without much effort to make him want to follow.

It was his oath he gladly took anyway. To follow her wherever she goes, whether in turmoil or in peace.

After a while, they heard music starting to turn up again.

“Want to go back and dance again… Babe?”

She laughed but faced him with a playful pout. “I’m warning you, glaive.”

He chuckled and took the furry mitts off his hand only to feel her cheek with his palm. “Alright, Lu…”

She chuckled. And then, A second nickname came to mind.

“…Your Highness.”

It made her lean closer. He whispered the one nickname he knew she loved.

“… Princess.”

Finally, their lips met, moving softly and slowly. With their eyes closed, his hand still cupped her cheek and her slender palms found his chest - eventually sliding upward to his neck. They pulled apart for air, but they kissed again after a few breaths. This time he pulled her closer by the waist and her fingers were now entwined with his hair.

Each kiss was different but held the same love and endearment that the kisses before tonight had. But in this still and quiet place there was freedom and serenity - more than what they had hoped for.

And as they continued onto the bliss, a voice suddenly halted everything.

“Hey lovebirds!”

They pulled apart instantly but were too late to notice a medium-sized container full of iced water.

The contents were mercilessly dumped on them. Nyx shouted profanity while Luna just shrieked. The drunken Malboro and Kenny Crowe were dying in laughter. The bunny chased after them, swearing revenge for ruining the moment. The ballerina ran with him, her hand on his, giggling back into the hall. Later on they found out that Tredd won best costume and Crowe had started up the karaoke. The drunken and the not-so-drunken toasted another “For Hearth and Home”.

As they slow danced their way into the night, the princess suggested to spend the rest of the vacation together in Galden Quay.

“We can leave first thing tomorrow. If you like.” she said.

Finding her proposition brilliant, he replied “I would love to.”


End file.
